Neutral position switch



Feb. 20, 1951 JEFFREY 2,542,531

NEUTRAL POSITION SWITCH Filed April 19, 1947 INVENTOR. MAX L. J'EFFPEYPatented Feb. 20, 1951 NEUTRAL POSITION SWITCH Max L. Jefirey, ShakerHeights, Ohio, assignor to The National Acme Company, Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application April 19, 1947, Serial No. 742,579

3 Claims.

This invention relates to switches, and more particularly to a switchwherein the movable contacts are held in a normally neutral position outof contact with fixed contacts.

The invention includes among its objectsto provide a switch wherein theoperating lever is enabled to travel farther than is necessary in orderto effect its operation.

A further advantage resides in providing a connection for the switchcontact lever which limits the amount of pressure with which thecontacts are closed thus reducing breakage.

Still another advantage resides in the provision of a mechanism whereinthe operating contacts are always returned to an open position.

Another object is to provide a switch wherein a small travel of theoperating lever in either direction causes the closing of contacts.

Still other advantages of the invention, and the invention itself willbecome more apparent from the following description of an embodimentthereof, which description is illustrated by the accompanying drawingsand forms a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a switch embodying my invention, withthe cover plate removed;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of I Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view from the other side to that of Fi 1.

Referring now to the drawings, throughout which like parts aredesignated by like reference characters, there is provided a housing H]which may be of generally rectangular formation and is provided with athreaded hollow boss l l to which a tubular conduit, not shown, may beconnected and through which the connecting wires may extend.

The interior of the housing is divided by a longitudinally extendingpartition. l2 which is provided with a boss l3, having a boretherethrough, providing a support for a bearing bushing l4.

A shaft I5 is rotatablyjournalled in the bushing [4 and has securedthereto, on one end, an arm or contact carrying lever 11 of insulatingmaterial which carries on its end contact bars 18 which in turn supportthe movable contacts the fixed contacts. Screws 23 on the strips pro-[ill 2 vide means for connecting the wires, not shown, to the fixedcontacts.

7 The contact carrying lever I1 is swingable, on the shaft IE, to bringthe movable contacts into connecting engagement with the sets of fixedcontacts 20, which sets are disposed on opposite sides of the housing,by an operating mechanism disposed on the other side of the partitionl2. It will be understood that there may be at least two fixed contactson each side of the housing, and that bars l 8 with its contacts areadapted to provide a connection between the contacts of each set whenswung into contact therewith.

The operating mechanism is similar to that disclosed in my copendingapplication, Ser. No. 602,035, filed June 28, 1945, Patent No.2,459,077. It comprises a driven lever having a circular body secured tothe shaft by a pin 3| and provided with a downwardly extending portionor neck 32.

A driving lever of composite structure is provided and includes plates33, rotatably journalled on the shaft and having necked in portions 34,the sides of which are coplanar with those of neck 32 of the drivenlever. A further extension for the drive lever is provided in that theplates extend downward beyond the driven lever at 36, and are securedtogether in spaced relation adjacent the ends, by a headed pin 31, aroller 38 being rotatably journalled on the pin. The plates are taperedinwardly toward the roller 38 so that the roller may extend beyond thesides of the plate.

A C-shaped spring, which may comprise one or more leaves 40, surroundsthe shaft engaging portion of the levers and has out curved ends 4|which rest against the coplanar surfaces on the necks of the two levers,holding them in alignment and providing a resilient driving couplingbetween them.

The lower end of the housing is provided with a semi-circular portion43v including a boss 44 at the left as viewed in Fig. 2, in which isdisposed a bearing bushing 45 that rotatably supports a driving shaft46. The shaft extends through the chamber formed by the part 43 andwhich chamber is a continuation of that above which houses the mechanismjust described, and extends through the front plate. The end of theshaft has secured thereto an operating handle comprising a hub 4'!having a pair of diverging tion 52 surrounding the shaft and throughwhich the pin 5| extends. A-neck extends above the ring and connects toa body portion 54, the end of which is bifurcated to provide a fork, thewalls 55 of which have tangential engagement with the roller 38.

Also disposed in the housing is a position member which includes thering shaped portions 6!! of the same conformation as the ring 52, whichrings are disposed around the shaft 45 that is rotatably journalledtherein.

The position member is likewise provided with neck portions 61, and thebody above the neck portions is provided with a pair of laterallyextending parts 62 which engage with the wall of the housing and holdthe same against movement. The central portion of the member is relievedslightly at 63 to provide ample clearance for the roller 38.

A C-shaped spring Ed in this instance shown as two laminations engagesthe necks of the lever and the position member holding the lever inalignment therewith.

In its normal position, the contact lever is midway between the fixedcontacts, and the operating lever 52 is held in a neutral position b thespring 64. If either one of the arms 40 is moved as by having a movingpart or cam on a machine engage one of the rollers 49, the shaft isrotated and the lever 5254 moves out of alignment with the positionmember 65-52 forcing apart the ends of the spring 64. This movementcauses the forked part of the lever to move the lever 33 and through thespring 40, the lever 30, and thence the shaft Hi. This swings thecontact lever I! with its movable contacts into engagement with one orthe other of the sets of fixed contacts. When the progress of the leverI1 is impeded by the engagement of the contacts with the fixed contacts,further movement of the lever 30 is prevented, and the levers 33 and 30move out of alignment causing the ends of the spring to be forced apart.This eliminates the possibility of breakage due to over travel of theoperating levers.

When the cam, or whatever is moving the lever '38, is removed fromengagement therewith, the spring 64 swings the lever 52-54 back intoalignment with the position member, causing the other parts to assumetheir normal position as shown in the figures. Thus after eachoperation, the parts return to a neutral position.

It will thus be noted that I have provided a switch wherein the partsare normally maintained in a neutral position. Furthermore, that eventhough considerable overtravel may be experienced because of itsconstruction, no damage is done to the working parts.

It will also be apparent that the apparatus is simple and inexpensive tomanufacture.

Having thus described my invention, I am aware that numerous andextensive departures may be made therefrom without departing from thespirit or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for moving a contact carrying mema driven lever on said shaft,the driven lever being secured on the shaft and the driving levermovably disposed on the shaft, spring means drivingly connecting thedriving and driven levers, said driving lever having a roller on itsend, an operating lever having portions for tangential engagement withthe roller and spring means for engagement with said operating lever tohold it in a neutral position.

2. Means for moving a contact carrying member disposed on a shaft andswingable between fixed contacts, comprising a driven lever secured onthe shaft, a driving lever rotatably disposed on the shaft and springmeans connecting them, a roller carried by the driving lever, anoperating shaft, and an operating handle carried thereby, an operatinglever carried by the operating shaft, a position member juxtaposed tosaid last men tioned operating lever and spring means engaging theposition member and the operating lever on the operating shaft to holdsaid operating lever in a neutral position.

3. In a switch having a contact carrying mem her which member isdisposed on a shaft rotatably journalled in a wall of a housing and hasa movable contact carrying lever secured thereto and having fixedcontacts supported within the housing on opposite sides of the movablecontact carrying member for alternate contact with the contacts of themovable contact member, means for moving said contact carrying membercomprising a driven lever secured to said shaft and a driving leverrotatably carried by said shaft, spring means connecting said levers indriving relation, said driving lever having an end portion with a rollerthereon, an operating lever having a forked end in tangential engagementwith the roller on opposite sides, shaft means journalled in saidhousing for supporting and swinging the operating lever, a positionmember including portions disposed around said shaft on opposite sidesof the operating lever, said position member and the operating levereach having necked in portions the lateral edges of which are coplanar,spring means engaging the edges of said operating lever and positionmember on said coplanar surface to hold them in alignment.

MAX L. JEFFREY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Robb Jan. 10, 1933 Cotesworth Jan. 27,1942 Jeffry Jan. 27, 1942 Jefirey Sept. 1, 1942 Shenton Dec. 7, 1943Staples Jan. -11, 1944 Goff Dec. 4, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country DateFrance Mar. 8, 1942 Number Number

